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To know more about Sinfully Gay Romance Book Reviews, check out their blog or see what they are up to on Twitter (@Sinfully_MMBlog). Their ongoing triumph is running Sinfully Gay Romance, a review site dedicated to bringing you the best in reviews, news, new releases & more in all things LGBTQ Romance. Sinfully Gay Romance can also be found on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest and Instagram.

1) If you could safely have any animal as a pet what critter companion would you choose?

I’m a cat person so if I could I would have a big cat like a tiger or maybe a jaguar.

2) Rocking dance club or cozy little pub?

I love to dance and have done my share of clubbing, but these days it’s definitely a cozy pub, preferably with some live music and a good beer selection.

3) Sunrises: Get up early or stay up late to see them?

Before I was a mom it would probably have been stay up late, but with my daughter’s school schedule it’s get up early whether I want to or not! If I had a choice though most days I’d be sleeping through it.

4) What is your favorite word?

What does it say about me that my favorite word is a curse word? Since this is a classy blog and I’m a classy lady I’ll default to enigma.

5) This is a Leap Year–how will you commemorate/celebrate Leap Day?

Leap Day will probably be spent trying to catch up on all the things I didn’t do the day before! Maybe I’ll get to sneak in another book – do you have any recommendations? 🙂

Debra started reading gay romance in 2012 and hasn’t stopped since! She has a TBR that can’t possibly be conquered in her lifetime, but that doesn’t stop her from adding new books daily. She couldn’t be happier to be sharing her love of the genre as a member of the Sinfully blog team along with Monique, Mark and Macky.

To know more about Sinfully Gay Romance Book Reviews, check out their blog or see what they are up to on Twitter (@Sinfully_MMBlog). Their ongoing triumph is running Sinfully Gay Romance, a review site dedicated to bringing you the best in news, reviews, releases, giveaways, cover reveals & more in all things LGBTQ Romance. Sinfully Gay Romance can also be found on Facebook, Google+, Pinterest and Instagram.

1) Are there any holiday treats you look forward to every year but never eat any other time?

Oh for sure, for me being in Germany it has to be Lebkuchen, a very traditional cookie made with all the traditional Christmas spices of cinnamon, almonds, ginger, etc. Goes great with a cup of tea. Also very British, but I love a bit of Yule Log.

Both actually, I love playing and going for walks in the snow but then coming back into a warm home with a cup of tea and Lebkuchen makes the treat even more special.

3) Bake and eat gingersnaps or bake and make a gingerbread house?

To be honest I don’t do either, sorry. For me it would be ginger schnapps rather than snaps though – lol! Can we talk about that instead?

4) What is your favorite word?

Now this is a difficult one but seeing it’s Christmas then for me it has to be “Yuletide.” I just love the sound of it and its history or etymology with its roots in the ancient Germanic, it’s fascinating.

5) Is there a candid photo of you from the holidays you just love for whatever reason?

Ahem, of course but thankfully I have successfully managed to keep them off the internet until now, phew! But yes, I have some rather embarrassing ones at the work’s Christmas Party, I think everyone has, and of course the one with the traditional fugly Christmas sweater. I think the one I love the most though is one of my father, brother and myself with our fugly Christmas sweaters on and Santa hats. This photo makes me smile as you can certainly see the love of a family and the resemblance my brother and I have to our father. Of course mum was the one behind the camera 🙂 Always good for a snap shot mum was – lol!

Sinfully Gay Romance loves books! Hot ones, happy ones, funny ones, fuzzy ones, erotic ones, old ones, dark ones, soppy ones, tear-jerking ones, heart-warming ones, but most of all, the need to be ALL MALE ROMANCE ones! The blog began in September 2012 when Becs and Monique kicked things off. Since then it has grown from strength to strength, complemented by Mark joining the blog team in June 2013 and further enhanced by the arrival of Macky. Since the departure of Becs in November of last year, the site has been re-named and we are now a fully functioning All Male Romance review blog.When we have decided to read and review a book–which is sometimes like choosing from a box of chocolates–we go to work. Well, it isn’t really work when you’re doing something that you really enjoy!

1) Do you have any cherished holiday traditions from growing up you continue with your family today?

Having lots of family around, cooking a big Christmas meal, and hopefully taking a walk in the snow.

2) Cookies: bake up a storm or hoping to get them as gifts from others?

I would normally get them from others, but I’m on a new vegan diet this year so I’ll have to make my own recipe!

3) Are you dreaming of a White Christmas or tropical getaways?

White Christmas, definitely.

4) What is your favorite word?

Hmmm. Infinite?

5) Dream gift from any store, at any price: what one item would you get for your household?

God, I don’t know. Maybe a really hip small RV to take camping.

Having been, at various times and under different names, a minister’s daughter, a computer programmer, a game designer, the author of paranormal mysteries, a fan fiction writer, an organic farmer and a profound sleeper, Eli is happily embarking on yet another incarnation as a m/m romance author. As an avid reader of such, she is tinkled pink when an author manages to combine literary merit, vast stores of humor, melting hotness and eye-dabbing sweetness into one story. She promises to strive to achieve most of that most of the time. She currently lives on a farm in Pennsylvania with her husband, three bulldogs, three cows and six chickens. All of them (except for the husband) are female, hence explaining the naked men that have taken up residence in her latest fiction writing. You can email her at eli@elieaston.com.

To know more about Shae Connor, check out her website, shaeconnorwrites.com, or see what she’s up to on Twitter (@shaeconnor). Her latest literary triumph, Nobody’s Son is available here.

1) Are you good with needles (knitting, cross-stitch, embroidery that is).

My first thought was hypodermic needles, and the answer there would be a big no, LOL! I used to do a lot of cross-stitch, but I haven’t picked up a needle in years. I sewed some when I was younger, too, but I’ve never picked up a knitting needle.

2) Christmas Music: before Thanksgiving, only after Thanksgiving, or never at all?

My family has a tradition of listening to Christmas music on November 1, so we can hear it at home before we hear it in stores. Other than that, though, I don’t start listening to it on purpose until after Santa appears at the end of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. That’s my “official” start of the holiday season!

3) Eggnog or mulled wine?

Eggnog, especially in a latte and/or spiked with Buttershots.

4) What is your favorite word?

Recalcitrant. I just love the way it rolls off the tongue. Eclectic is another favorite. 🙂

5) With a limitless budget to spend the winter holidays in any other country, where will you go and what will you do?

Ireland. I’ve always wanted to go, and being there during the holidays would be extra special. I’d hit the usual tourist spots: Dublin, Waterford, Galway, the Ring of Kerry, Blarney Castle—as many as I can fit in. My family traces back to the southwestern part of the country, so I’d want to spend as much time there as possible.

Shae Connor lives in Atlanta, where she’s a lackadaisical government worker for a living and writes sweet-hot romance under the cover of night. She’s been making things up for as long as she can remember, but it took her a long time to figure out that maybe she should try writing them down. Shae is part Jersey, part Irish, and all Southern, which explains why she never shuts up. When she’s not chained to her laptop, she enjoys cooking, traveling, watching baseball, and reading voraciously, and she’s an annual volunteer for the Dragon Con on-site publication, the Daily Dragon. You can email her at shaeconnorwrites@gmail.com.

3) A nice brisk walk or a nice long nap to follow a big meal? Actually both.

I’d go for a walk and then take a nap.

4) What is your favorite word?

Butthead. The one time my mother was speechless was when she was getting on my last nerve and I told her she was being a butthead.

5) What do you hope to be thankful for in 2016?

The continued health of myself and my family.

Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.

Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing) He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

To know more about Skylar M Cates, find her on Facebook and Twitter. Her latest literary triumph is A Guy’s Thanksgiving, available here.

1) Do you make sure to follow any superstitious practices about anything–just in case?

Just telling my family I love them before we part for the day.

2) Hot mulled cider or cold hard cider?

Hot mulled cider (even though I live in Florida, drinking the hot stuff lets me imagine some cold weather).

3) Tons of fluffy pillows or one flat pillow only?

Fluffy (although my dog might steal them!).

4) What is your favorite word?

This one is too hard for me to select. I used to like decadent and loquacious for their sound. For meaning? Love!

5) If you could live for one day as a famous person from the past, who would you be?

Walt Whitman

Skylar M. Cates loves a good romance. She is quite happy to drink some coffee, curl up with a good book, and not move all day. Most days, however, Skylar is chasing after her husband, her kids, and her giant dog, Wasabi. Skylar dreams about spending her days writing her novels, walking along the beach, and making more time for her good friends. On a shoestring budget, Skylar traveled all over in her early years. Although, lately, the laundry room is the farthest place she has visited, Skylar still loves to chat with people from all around the globe.

1) Is there a movie you always have to watch if you flip past it on TV?

OMG. I have so many movies I do this for. Alien, Shawshank Redemption, The Color Purple, and Gone With the Wind are just some of my must-watch movies. Whenever they’re on, I stop whatever it was I was doing to watch. Alien remains my all-time favorite though. It still gives me goosebumps when Ripley realizes she’s the only one left alive on the ship. Of course now that I’ve talked about it, I’m gonna have to go watch it.

2) On a road trip, do you stop and see all the sights or is it pedal to the metal?

It’s pedal to the metal for me. I don’t like stopping at all. The problem is I am in love with a man with a bladder the size of a peanut. He has to stop every thirty minutes it seems. Our drive from San Antonio to San Diego took forever, but I wouldn’t want to make that drive with everyone else. He’s so lucky I love him and his small bladder.

3) Band camp or space camp?

Space camp! I can’t tell you how badly I wanted to go to space camp when I was a kid. Do they even still offer it? If they did, I’d sign up. Going into space has always been a dream of mine.

Seriously though, it’s hard for me to choose one word, but if I had to choose one it would be munchkin because that’s what I call my daughter. She’s the most important person in my life, so any word associated with her is my absolute favorite.

5) Do you have any hidden talent that’s come to the rescue in unexpected ways?

Well, yes. I won’t go into too much detail, but I’ll tell you this: I can do some pretty amazing tricks with my tongue that have served me well over the years.

Jacob Z. Flores lives a double life. During the day, he is a respected college English professor and mid-level administrator. At night and during his summer vacation, he loosens the tie and tosses aside the trendy sports coat to write man on man fiction, where the hard ass assessor of freshmen level composition turns his attention to the firm posteriors and other rigid appendages of the characters in his fictional world. Summers in Provincetown, Massachusetts, provide Jacob with inspiration for his fiction. The abundance of barely clothed man flesh and daily debauchery stimulates his personal muse. When he isn’t stroking the keyboard, Jacob spends time with his daughter. They both represent a bright blue blip in an otherwise predominantly red swath in south Texas.

Shade seeker. I’ve never managed to build a sexy tan! I just burn within seconds like a French fry, go scarlet and painful, then fade to less white.

3) Penguins or Golden Crunch Creams?

I thought you meant the birds Penguin for a moment LOL.Golden Crunch creams, definitely. The combination of crunch and soft filling… yum.

4) What is your favorite word?

Indefatigable.

5) If you had a wand that could only cast one spell, what would it be?

I’d love to ask for world peace or tolerance across all of humankind, I’m just not sure how it’d roll out logistically, human nature being what it is. Does that sound defeatist?! Let’s go for it, regardless! Or I may just have a shamefully selfish day, and ask for a Lottery win LOL.

Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home, she juggles her writing with her other day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with award-winning novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing, while friends say she’s just fickle. But as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy. Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters. Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fueled family home.

To know more about Kieran and Theo, get Put A Ring On It by K.A. Mitchell, available from Dreamspinner Press. You can find out more about K.A.–and her other books–on her website and Twitter.

1) Are you going to adopt… a pet?

Kieran raises a brow, and Theo tries to control a shudder at the idea. Kieran gets a mischievous smile. “What about a snake? I think they’re clean. And you don’t have to feed them often.”
Theo says, “They eat and don’t use a toilet. And they shed.”

2) Most comfortable: Preppy or grunge?

Kieran jerks a thumb at Theo. “This guy? Are you looking at him?”
Theo pulls his slacks at the knee. “Because you own so very much flannel?”

3) Champagne brunch or diner breakfast?

Theo says, “Cover your ears, Kieran.” He leans in to say confidentially, “Kieran would think it’s champagne for me, diner for him. But the truth is, now that he’s had it he loves good champagne. And I don’t like to drink in the morning. There’s something incredibly comforting in a diner breakfast.”
Kieran says, “You don’t whisper very well, Theo. The truth is,” he and Theo exchange a look, “he’s right.”

4) What is your favorite word to say to each other?

Simultaneously they say, “Shower?” and then laugh.

5) Where are you going to spend your golden anniversary?

“Take it, baby,” Theo says.
Kieran looks a little embarassed. “Hawaii,” he admits at last.
Theo leans over and kisses him for a long time.

Um, guys? Is it warm in here or is it me?

Kieran Delaney-Schwartz — adoptee, underachiever, and self-professed-slacker IT guy — lives his under-the-radar life by the motto: Don’t try, don’t fail. His adopted siblings are all overachievers thanks to his driven, liberal parents, but Kieran has elected to avoid disappointing anyone by not getting their hopes up. He’s coasting through his early twenties when he’s hit head-on by Theo. The successful decade-older Broadway producer sweeps him off his feet for a whirlwind thirteen months that are pretty sweet, until it all comes screeching to a halt on Valentine’s Day, with an unexpected proposal via an NYC Times Square flash mob. Now everyone wants in on the wedding, except the grooms.

I wanted to be an archaeologist. One of my first “research projects”—if you can call it that—in grade school was on a job, and that’s the one I drew out of a hat. I immediately fell in love with Egyptian mythology, pyramids, mummies, the whole nine yards. That love expanded out into any world mythologies I could find material on. Aside from the science fiction books I read at home, this fed my love for reading stories, especially love stories. Lots of love stories in mythology, ever noticed?

2) Macaroons or macarons?

Macaron. I am allergic to coconut, so most macaroons are a bad idea, and in my head, ROON = BAD. But I adore cookie sandwiches, and Elizabeth knows better than to let me go into a bakery in Europe. I guess I didn’t have a good foreign baking education, because I didn’t even know “macarons” were a thing until a few years ago when I visited London. I particularly like jam-filled.

3) Do you believe more in fate or coincidence?

Alas, to the woe of many friends, I am far too pragmatic to believe in fate and thus find myself resigned to a somewhat suspicious acceptance of coincidence. I suppose that makes my life in romantic fiction quite ironic, doesn’t it? Star-crossed lovers and all that. Perhaps that’s what makes me a better editor. I can focus on the story itself and not get caught up in the swell of violins, consuming humid heat, twinkling stars, and gasping lovers… no, not really. I’m still just as fascinated and entertained by stories about fate. But in real life, I definitely lean toward believing more in coincidence—or the fact that people twist coincidence in their favor.

4) What is your favorite word?

Unfortunately, I really can’t answer that one. I’ve had a love affair with words in multiple languages my entire life, and there’s no way I can pick one. (Although cafuné comes close. It’s Brazilian Portuguese for “tenderly stroking someone’s hair.”) But I can absolutely answer the opposite: What is your most hated word? And this really is a thing: my editors all know. I seriously—very seriously—considered outlawing use of the word totally in any Dreamspinner Press publication. Luckily, it’s not very popular in gay romance and has mostly been relegated to the realm of purple prose, although you can bet anytime one of my senior editors finds it, they bring it up during department meetings, just to taunt me with it. Curious yet?

Turgid.

5) Which Wonder of the Ancient World would you visit in its prime?

Top of my list would have to be The Great Pyramid of Giza, to feed my eternal love for anything ancient Egyptian. The artwork, the tombs, the poems and stories and epics written on the walls, no wonder the Egyptians believed some souls would stay entombed there forever to watch over the dead. Plenty to read!

Lynn West is one of the founders of Dreamspinner Press and was one of the first two editors employed by the press in January 2007. She was named Editor in Chief in January 2009. She has edited the work of more than a hundred authors, including many of the bestsellers in Dreamspinner’s catalog. Before and during the early years of Dreamspinner, Lynn worked as a professional editor in fiction, nonfiction, journalism, and technical writing and was a fiction and nonfiction author, a public relations writer, and an award-winning print journalist before that, thus racking up twenty years of publishing experience as of January 2014. She holds a bachelor’s degree in modern languages and a master’s degree in management, as well as a variety of advanced educational and training certifications. All that boring stuff aside, Lynn’s love of reading and writing comes thanks to a dissolute youth spent devouring Science Fiction Book Club tomes from her dad’s bookshelves. Her nickname is the Wicked Witch West, though her flying monkeys (staff) insist that “wicked” is a good thing in gay romance.